REGIS Le Bris will not be judged a success or a failure solely on the outcome of tomorrow’s Championship opener at Cardiff City but this is the first chance for Sunderland’s new head coach to lay down a marker.

As I have written previously, Le Bris needs to get off to a good start - by which I mean over a period of weeks and several games, rather than one match - to keep fans on board and the mood positive.

So these early weeks of the season are a crucial period in his reign.

Le Bris goes into the season with the advantage of having got to know his new charges before the season begins, which is a rare privilege for a new head coach on Wearside in recent times.

In fact, he is only the fifth summer appointment of the last 16 Sunderland managers and head coaches over the last decade-and-a-half.

Back in 2009, Darren Bent scored the only goal as new boss Steve Bruce’s side won at Bolton Wanderers on the opening day, one of five victories in his first nine Premier League games in a season that saw Sunderland finish 13th in the table.

More recently, Lynden Gooch’s injury-time winner against Charlton Athletic at the Stadium of Light got Jack Ross off to a flying start in 2018 as he won four of his first five League One games in charge, and remained unbeaten in his first seven, as Sunderland finished fifth and ultimately reached the play-off final.

But a pre-season with the players is not a guarantee of success.

Just ask David Moyes, who was winless in his first ten Premier League games in charge in 2016.

Or Simon Grayson who won just one of his first 15 Championship games the following year before getting the sack at the end of October.

A late Paddy McNair own-goal consigned Moyes’ side to defeat at Manchester City on the opening day, while Sunderland needed a Lewis Grabban penalty to rescue a 1-1 draw at home to Derby County in Grayson’s first outing.

I need hardly remind you that both of those campaigns ended in relegation.

For Le Bris, Cardiff away is certainly not a make-or-break fixture - although a victory would undeniably be a big help for the Frenchman.

It is worth pointing out that, of Sunderland’s eight promotions from the second tier, only four began with a win - and three of the last four, in 2006-07, 2004-05, and 1995-96, were were achieved despite a losing start.

Win, lose, or draw, nothing will be settled on the opening day of the season.

But Le Bris will never have another opportunity to make a good first impression.

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Blazing sunshine, endless blue skies, immaculate lush green pitches, and the crackle of excitement as fans regroup after the summer break.

Yes, it can only mean the start of the new season this weekend.

Of course, this being Britain, I can’t guarantee the weather if you’re one of the 3,000-plus Sunderland supporters travelling to Cardiff.

But even if the sun fails to do its bit, the opening day will be illuminated by the rosy glow of hope and optimism that comes with every new beginning.

The first day of the season was always my favourite.

It was far too early for the dark grey clouds of cynicism and disappointment to have set in.

Sure, there were always grumblings over the club’s summer transfer dealings - the key areas left unaddressed, the signings that arrived are not good enough, the star players either sold or who had question marks hanging over their futures on Wearside.

Yet as long as the transfer window is still open all was not lost. There was still time to rectify matters before the end of August.

Fans could dream of promotion, convince themselves that last season’s relegation struggle was a mere blip, or at the very least hope that there would be incremental improvement on whatever had gone before.

And so back to the present, as Sunderland prepare to make the 600-mile round-trip to South Wales.

The hope and the optimism is certainly there.

The window is still open so that striker might arrive after all.

Jack Clarke might yet stay. Dan Neil may sign that new contract.

Le Bris might prove to be an inspired choice.

Maybe Sunderland will challenge for promotion, or the play-offs.

Perhaps that catastrophic post-New Year relegation form really was a blip.

At any rate, Sunderland should be able to improve on last season’s 16th place finish … shouldn’t they?